Kahului-Wailuku cost of living
Prices in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area run at 109.4 against a national average of 100, ranking it #12 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 119.2.
What drives the number
Kahului-Wailuku is one of the most expensive places the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures, at 109.4 against a national 100, ranking #12 of 387 metro areas. Being 9.4 per cent above national is the sort of gap that changes which job offers are worth taking. Against Hawaii as a whole it is 0.6 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 111.6, rents at 119.2, other services at 190.6. When the components agree, the headline number is a fair summary of the whole cost of living rather than a proxy for rent. Goods at 111.6 are themselves 11.6 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The practical use of this number is converting pay between places. Take any salary quoted here, divide by 109.4, multiply by 100, and you have what it would need to be nationally to leave you equally well off.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Kahului-Wailuku is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,710 | $34,670 | $31,691 | $30,480 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,460 | $71,920 | $65,740 | $33,760 |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,390 | $51,240 | $46,837 | $34,660 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,350 | $37,740 | $34,497 | $34,580 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,840 | $48,320 | $44,168 | $36,830 |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,590 | $45,270 | $41,380 | $43,630 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,560 | $106,330 | $97,194 | $102,950 |
| Cashiers | 1,560 | $37,840 | $34,589 | $31,190 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 109.4.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu | 111.0 | 135.5 | #8 |
Kahului-Wailuku: common questions
Is Kahului-Wailuku expensive?
Prices are 9.4% above the national average, a parity of 109.4 where the country is 100. It ranks #12 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Hawaii as a whole it is 0.6 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Kahului-Wailuku?
The median worker there earns $54,790, which buys what $50,082 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 119.2 against goods at 111.6. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.